FFXI community/FFXIV transition my minor testiment (long post)

[Xiozen]

I remember it was fall of 2004... I had just finished playing, I believe FF IV... when I discovered that an MMO (XI) was available in the US. Feeling inspired to try my very first MMORPG, I purchased a computer online, ordered the game...stylized blue and white box loaded/installed and listened to the sounds of drums and trumpets from the initial login screen.

I was beyond excited... at the ripe ole' age of 31... from the race/character creation screen I chose my staple look Elvaan, male... initial choice of job, black mage... with San'doria as my starting city. As I zoned in for the first time, grey walls, concrete flooring panels and standing tall NPCs smattered throughout the zone of Northern San'doria assailed my senses... I had no idea what was going on but loving every moment. Ahead of me rose (what I later found out to be the castle of the king) and off to my right, the church with it's illustrious synagogue.

In corners scattered all around were other PCs, crouched with glowing sparkling crystals sizzling above their heads... this process I came to eventually know to be synthesis (crafting). Bewildered by this, I spent the part of an hour simply trying to figure out what to do..., no handy NPC guide available to walk me through the starting process as a new character to the game--so I zoned out into the wilds surrounding the huge city, only to find a worm, wriggling menacingly near me... I was level 1.

Not knowing that worms could cast spells (go figure), I found myself face down in the dust and back at the starting point...not really knowing what had happened. Eventually I gathered up my level 1 blm and ventured out again into the wilds to happily die again and again and again... feeling slightly discouraged, I was about to "home point" again when I saw a message that someone was raising me... "Wait what?"... A red mage, decked out in relic gear, red pinioned feathered hat, looking like a classic rapier welding gentleman, stood over me, as heavenly light embraced me and raised me from the cold clutches of K.O... I stood in awe. Kneeling (emote) to the RDM, he invited me to my very first link shell, from which players were talking... talking and talking... guiding and partying and... it was overwhelming the conversations taking place in this "channel". I introduced myself and the "hi"s... "welcome's"... "nice to meet you"s... were numerous. The invites soon followed and I was snatched up in beginning parties with others who knew where to go...what to do... how to do it... all by word of mouth... no online guides to direct... and it was glorious.

In time, I was high enough in beginning levels to venture past the outskirts of San'Doria..into West Ronfoure and beyond... ready at level 13 to traverse by foot, the vast windy (sometimes rainy) fields of La'Thiene Plateau before reaching the terrifying zone of the desert known as Valkrum Dunes. I would stay near the dunes, for another 8 - 9 levels... carefully avoiding traveling the dunes at night for fear of skeletons and the dreaded Bogy.

I had my sights set on Summoner (level 30 job) at the time as I built my blm job, only to need the "subjob" quest... so to my link shell community I went, asking if anyone wished to team up for the "sub job" quest items... a party was quickly formed, with a "high level" among us to help out... and we went to farm the needed items to complete the quest and continue developing our characters. Again, hours upon hours (not grinding mind you) were spent getting to level 23---days even---so that I could entertain the idea of trying to make my way to the next area Konschant Highlands. Interesting in retrospect, I really never did any grinding in the earlier days (Rise of Zilart and Treasures of Aht Urghan expansion times) of FFXI...that came later as more modernized changes descended upon the game.

Looking at FFXIV and remembering the times (over the last 12 years of FFXI --i still have an active sub)... so much has changed. Not necessarily for the better. While I can appreciate the changing times, I cannot help but sense a strong bitter nostalgia over what we've lost. The sense of community that I grew up with in FFXI is not present in FFXIV... when I subbed into A Realm Reborn I had hoped (maybe naively) to rekindle that first feel...first sense of "Ahhh"...and somehow find that which I had lost over the years from the strong community that had been FFXI--i disappointingly realized it will never happen.

As I think about this, I wonder, perhaps it was the sense of challenge... knowing I'd have to party for at least 3 hours to get 1 level... knowing in my party that I'd HAVE to magic burst off of the two melee's skill chain in order to down the mob because it had a gazillion hit points... knowing that I'd have to know which mobs were sight aggro verses sound to get from point A to point B and I had no way to raise if I did or if I did, then undead were near and would blood aggro me... knowing that my relic weapon would last me 10 years if I made it and not be replaced in a patch.

Perhaps its me that has changed so much to the day... I don't recognize me anymore to that 31 year old, who with wide eyes and open mouthed wonder, zoned into San'Doria in marvel to catch a ship to another city or run for at least an hour through five different zones to get there... Perhaps, accomplishment meant something then... something very different to what it means now. I guess I'll always wonder.

[OliviaJ]

I miss all that a bit too but I also don't have that much time any more. Unless you were crafting or fishing, logging in for an hour or less was just a waste of time. You had to dedicate 2-3 hrs for anything to get done, including travel time. It was fun and challenging back then and I wish some of those aspects were back but not all. I like that in my busy family life nowadays I can log in and casually enjoy a few things and then log out without feeling like I'm wasting money on a sub.

[Esp]

Reading this, it also reminds me of my time starting out in FFXI. A place we're it mattered to know people and the community was active. A place we're even a lonely bunny, that looked the same as any other, could destroy you in a matter of seconds and possibly de-level you if you hadn't gotten quite enough XP into your new level.

The hours upon hours of waiting with your "looking for party" flag on, or even dodging those stupid bats/goblins in the caves that lead to the leveling spot near Selbina. Even the trains of mobs that followed that unlucky fellow to the Selbina zone line when luck was not on your side. And let's not forget that you never revealed a map as you traversed it...you had to EARN IT!

Yup, times sure have changed, even the same game has become quite "soloable" now that Trust NPC are in place. Sadly, that was back in different time when, where I at least, had all the time in the world.

The gamers of that time have changed though, we've grown up and really can't dedicate that many hours (or years for that darn relic...felt good to finish it though) to a MMO anymore. Luckly, FFXI is still up for the duration, and even I am still subbed to it in the event I ever want to go back. However, with so much that has changed, kinda rough to get back into the swing of things.

I do love FFXIV for what it is currently, and do hope that there will be something that invigorates me for the long term like FFXI did, but the way FFXIV was created....Leaves me very little hope.

[C56]

I feel you, I started playing FFXI when I was 15, me and my friends for school literally spent entire weekends playing with no sleep to get those levels. I remember making a lot of friends in the grind parties in the dunes and other places. I have to admit I miss having to interact with other people and having a very close community. I'm a little sad this game went the way of instanced everything but that's what the players want so who am I to judge. I basically just log in, do my dailies and then log out with this game, i don't even bother to plug in a keyboard because no one bothers to talk anyway lol. But I get it, I miss the hard core, having a ton of things to get done, things taking a long time, how dangerous the world felt with the chance you could get aggro and end up leveling down if you weren't careful everything was basically an adventure (My first trip to jueno was pretty scary with all those high level mobs lol), but most people do not want that kind of game anymore and even XI isn't like that anymore lol

[DragonFlyy]

Everquest. That was the first time I felt that awesomeness of finding a center of people that I could call friends/family. Until EQ2, where I met a solid group of people and again they were family. FFXIV was the next place that i found that comfortable feeling. The content (for me) has nothing to do with community. It's finding the right people to play with.
PS. I have played many MMOs. Only a few, have they had good families.

[Cakekizyy]

Everquest. That was the first time I felt that awesomeness of finding a center of people that I could call friends/family. Until EQ2, where I met a solid group of people and again they were family. FFXIV was the next place that i found that comfortable feeling. The content (for me) has nothing to do with community. It's finding the right people to play with.
PS. I have played many MMOs. Only a few, have they had good families.

Started EQ back in 1999. Think it took me 2years to get a toon past level 12.

[Gamina]

I feel this too and started 11 in 2005 when I was 17 and had serious time on my hands. A college friend was already playing and after a few hours I was hooked. I kept my sub up until 2013 though had stopped really playing in 2011.


In that time I made the most amazing lasting friendships. My linkshell over on Bahamut were like another family and even sitting in battles for hours and hours I never felt the grind like I sometimes have here. I also felt the genuine achievement when we got that sought after piece of gear from sea or sky, not just when I myself won a piece but when we as a team managed to get something long sought after for one of our numbers. Some of my fondest memories are sitting around for the three hour HNM window just chatting with those same friends.

I was lucky enough that I moved over into a FC here based on friendships I had made in 11. Thought we are no where near the huge numbers we were in 11 there are a solid group of us that played 11 together and I still keep in contact with the friends I made scattered about the other servers.

One thing I would say though is I gave up 11 truly when I had my son. I could no longer achieve anything in the short playtime windows I had. It was horrible having to tell friends I couldn't go to an event but I had far far more important and wonderful things to do (and some boring ones too!). At least with 14 I can log in for a few hours in an evening and feel like I have achieved something. My FC raid once a week and whilst we may not fly through content we kept pace with updates to complete coil and have enjoyed the ex primals together.

I'm not sure what your community is like but at the point where I joined the novice network as a mentor I found a hint at the community spirit I was looking for. Whilst I know the novice network does not work and is a toxic place on some servers by and large it is a helpful, friendly and chatty community on Ragnarok. I have made a few friends we chat, help others along and it is the first time I have been called across the world to raise someone in need like in the old 11 days!

[Andevom]

The sheer number of XI posts lately makes me think everyone read that Kotaku article.

[Keramory]

I too recall the feeling of being overwhelmed by the new world and the long progression to not even mastering it, but to just be a citizen of it. Everything you did, especially exploring for the first time, gave such excitement.
When Ffxiv was announced I preordered it as soon as I could. Needless to say I was extremely disappointed in it. Although quite honestly despite the amazing change this game made. There is stillthe absolute lack of excitement and wonder in this game ffxi had. I like the game but I will never love it as much.
Everything in Ffxiv is far too easy to not only obtain but to even get. Content becomes outdated in just a few months constantly, just for similar content. People complained about ffxi grinding, But honestly this grinding is not much different and a lot less rewarding.
theres also no world. Only instances with very short traveling involved. Teleporting made already short maps even shorter. Towns are usually dead and quiet as well

[Seig345]

EverQuest and FFXI both hold nostalgic memories for me in terms of community, but in terms of gameplay, I never reached further than level 24 in EverQuest or level 30 in FFXI. Even before I had a job, I simply could not avoid becoming burned out on the process of either sitting around LFG, or sitting around in a group, whacking the same monsters over and over and moving from camp to camp for a week before getting to the next smattering of story in the game. I feel as though they were designed for people who completely thrived on that community experience, letting the game's world and story serve as only the backdrop for socializing with other online gamers, but did not really suit my curiosity about the game's lore that simply could not survive the long slog between each stepping stone in the plot. I've been told by several people that I have "the patience of Job", but apparently that wasn't enough to level a job beyond level 30.